LA Times Crossword 21 Jul 24, Sunday

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Constructed by: Kyle Dolan
Edited by: Patti Varol

Today’s Theme: Course Work

Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted with reference to GOLFERS:

• 22A The golfer’s engineering course involved making __ : PITCHING MACHINES
• 38A The golfer’s psychology course helped develop a __ : BUNKER MENTALITY
• 47A The golfer’s biomechanics course covered __ : SWING SHIFTS
• 69A The golfer’s rhetoric course included debates on __ : WEDGE ISSUES
• 87A The golfer’s art course taught how to draw a __ : ROUGH SKETCH
• 95A The golfer’s landscape architecture course included the __ : GREEN REVOLUTION
• 113A After completing the courses, the golfer had a well-rounded __ : DRIVERS EDUCATION

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 19m 29s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 Whodunit genre : NOIR

The expression “film noir” has French origins, but only in that it was coined by a French critic in describing a style of Hollywood film. The term, meaning “black film” in French, was first used by Nino Frank in 1946. Film noir often applies to a movie with a melodramatic plot and a private eye or detective at its center. Good examples would be “The Big Sleep” and “D.O.A”.

19 Roofed veranda : LANAI

A lanai is a type of veranda, and a design that originated in Hawaii. A kind blog reader tells me that the etymology of “lanai” seems unclear, but that the island name of “Lana’i” is not related.

20 Oil source : OLIVE

The olive tree developed in and around the Mediterranean Basin, but has been cultivated in many locations around the world for thousands of years. The fruit of the olive tree is prized as a foodstuff, as well as a source of olive oil. Our word “oil” ultimately derives from the Greek “elaia” meaning “olive”.

21 Cogito, __ sum : ERGO

The great French philosopher Rene Descartes made the famous statement in Latin, “Cogito ergo sum”. This translates into French as “Je pense, donc je suis” and into English as “I think, therefore I am”. Anything pertaining to the philosophy of Descartes can be described by the adjective “Cartesian”.

26 Part of London where Cockney originated : EAST END

The East End of London was associated with overcrowding, poverty and accompanying social strife. It is also very much associated with Cockney culture and dialect. The traditional definition of a Cockney is someone “born within the sound of Bow Bells”, the bells in the church of St Mary-le-Bow on the thoroughfare Cheapside.

27 Popular pooch : LAB

The Labrador (Lab) breed of dog has been around at least since 1814, and the chocolate Labrador appeared over a century later in the 1930s. The name “Labrador Retriever” is simply a reference to the breed’s origin and behavior. Labs originally “retrieved” from the “Labrador Sea”.

28 Cook in a wok, say : STIR-FRY

“Wok” is a Cantonese word, and is the name for the frying pan now used in many Asian cuisines.

30 Founder : SINK

“To founder”, when applied to a boat, is to fill with water and sink. The term comes from Old French “fond” meaning “bottom”, as in “sink to the bottom of the ocean”. The term is used more generally to mean “to fail”.

31 Vail outfit : SKI SUIT

The Vail Ski Resort in Colorado is the largest single-mountain ski resort in the whole country. The resort was opened in 1962, basically in the middle of nowhere. It was given the name Vail after Vail Pass which runs by the mountain (now also called Vail Mountain). The town of Vail, Colorado was established four years later in 1966, and now has a population of about 5,000.

35 Victorian __ : ERA

The Victorian era was a period in British history from 1837 to 1901 that is defined by the reign of Queen Victoria. Generally speaking, the Victorian era was a period of peace and prosperity for the UK. How times have changed …

38 The golfer’s psychology course helped develop a __ : BUNKER MENTALITY

Sand traps on a golf course are referred to as bunkers on the other side of the Atlantic.

43 Persian Gulf fed. : UAE

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The Persian Gulf is in effect an inland sea, although it technically is an offshoot of the Indian Ocean. The outlet from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean is one of the most famous maritime “choke points” in the world, and is known as the Strait of Hormuz. About 20% of the world’s supply of petroleum passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

44 Alex and __ jewelry : ANI

The jewelry retailer Alex and Ani was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Cranston, Rhode Island. The founder Carolyn Rafaelian named her business for her two daughters: Alex and Ani.

46 Campus org. : NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) dates back to the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. When his son broke his nose playing football at Harvard, President Roosevelt turned his attention to the number of serious injuries and even deaths occurring in college sports. He instigated meetings between the major educational institutions, leading to the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) in 1906, which was given the remit of regulating college sports. The IAAUS became the NCAA in 1910. The NCAA has been headquartered in Indianapolis since 1999.

47 The golfer’s biomechanics course covered __ : SWING SHIFTS

In a three-shift working system, the shifts are known by various names:

1. First shift, day shift
2. Second shift, swing shift
3. Third shift, night shift, graveyard shift

53 “Road Rules” airer : MTV

“Road Rules” is a reality show, a spinoff from “The Real World”, that ran from 1995 to 2007. Each season follows a group of strangers who are abandoned on the road, with no money and an RV. They are given missions, and must do odd jobs to make some money.

54 Tree with delicate bark : BEECH

Beech bark is very thin and delicate, and is often scarred by people carving their initials or other forms of graffiti. These markings are permanent because the tree cannot heal itself. There is also a fungal infection that damages the American beech that is called beech bark disease, which can be fatal to the tree.

55 Manhattan univ. : K-STATE

Kansas State University (KSU) was founded as the Kansas State Agricultural College in 1863 during the Civil War. The main KSU campus is located in the city of Manhattan, which is 56 miles northwest of Topeka, Kansas.

56 Words on Alice’s cake : EAT ME

In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, Alice follows the white rabbit down a rabbit hole and finds a bottle labeled “DRINK ME”. When she drinks the contents, it causes her to shrink. She also sees a cake adorned with the words “EAT ME” written using currants, and when she eats the cake she grows so big she finds it hard to stand up. After eating the cake, she utters the words, “Curiouser and curiouser”.

58 Battery in a science experiment : POTATO

When we were at school, we might have made a lemon (or potato) battery in class. The main components of the battery, besides the lemon, are a zinc nail and a copper penny connected to a small bulb with conductive wires. When the zinc nail and copper penny are inserted into the lemon, an electric current flows and lights the bulb. Current flows because metallic zinc from the nail dissolves in the lemon juice creating positive hydrogen ions in the juice. The hydrogen ions combine with negative electrons from the copper penny. The resulting imbalance in charge between the nail and the penny, caused by the chemical reaction, causes current to flow through the connecting wires and the bulb.

62 Cereal for Bart Simpson : KRUSTY-O’S

In “The Simpsons” TV show, Krusty-O’s is a breakfast cereal that is endorsed by the character Krusty the Clown. Krusty-O’s is one of several products introduced in the show that made it onto store shelves. Malt-O-Meal repackaged Tootie Frooties as Krusty-O’s and sold them in 7-Eleven stores around the time “The Simpsons Movie” was showing in theaters.

65 Designer Armani’s nickname : GIO

Giorgio “Gio” Armani is an Italian fashion designer and founder of the company that has borne his name since 1975. Although Armani is famous for his menswear, the company makes everything from jewelry to perfume.

71 Bench press muscles, for short : PECS

“Pecs” is the familiar name for the chest muscle, which is more correctly known as the pectoralis major muscle. “Pectus” is the Latin word for “breast, chest”.

72 Dada artist Jean : ARP

Jean Arp was a prominent artist and sculptor who played a crucial role in the development of the Dada and Surrealist movements at the beginning of the 20th century. In the early years of his career, Arp experimented with a range of styles, including Expressionism, Cubism, and Futurism. In 1916, he co-founded the Zurich Dada movement with artists such as Tristan Tzara and Hugo Ball. After the Dada movement began to decline in the 1920s, Arp became associated with the Surrealist movement and continued to explore the possibilities of abstraction in his art.

73 Filing for Chapter 11 protection : BANKRUPT

In the US Bankruptcy Code, Chapter 11 allows for a company or individual to reorganize affairs in the event that debts become so cumbersome that they cannot be cleared. Should the reorganization be unsuccessful, then Chapter 7 of the code might apply, which covers the sale of assets and distribution of proceeds to creditors.

Our word “bankruptcy” comes from the Italian “banca rotta”, which translates as “broken bench”. This etymology may stem from the practice of breaking the bench or counter of a moneychanger’s place of business in order to signify insolvency.

76 Bear in fire-prevention ads : SMOKEY

Smokey Bear is the mascot of the US Forest Service. He first appeared in 1944, in an advertising campaign directed towards preventing forest fires.

78 Columns that lean : OP-EDS

“Op-ed” is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

80 Trunks : TORSOS

“Torso” (plural “torsi”) is an Italian word meaning “trunk of a statue”, and is a term that we imported into English.

84 Donald Duck’s nephew : LOUIE

Donald Duck’s nephews are identical triplets called Huey, Dewey and Louie, and they first appeared on the screen in 1938. Once in a while, due to errors in production, a fourth duck can be seen in the background. This little “mistake” is affectionately called “Phooey Duck” by folks in the industry.

85 “Success!,” in textspeak : FTW!

“FTW” is an initialism abbreviating “for the win”, a phrase meaning “being great, sure to succeed”.

91 Northwestern capital : BOISE

Boise, Idaho is the capital and the largest metropolitan area in the state by far. There are a number of stories pertaining to the etymology of the name “Boise”. One is that French trappers called the tree-lined river that ran through the area “la rivière boisée”, meaning “the wooded river”. Boise is known today as “The City of Trees”.

93 Eliza Hamilton portrayer Phillipa : SOO

Phillipa Soo is an actress and singer who is perhaps best known for portraying Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, the title character’s wife in the original Broadway production of “Hamilton”.

99 Pack with 78 cards : TAROT

In a 78-card tarot deck, there are four 14-card suits known as the four minor arcana. There is also a 21-card trump suit, and a card referred to as the Fool. The Fool and trump suit are sometimes collectively called the major arcana.

101 “Titanium” singer : SIA

“Sia” is the stage name of Australian singer Sia Furler from Adelaide. She is a cousin of Australian Christian Rock musician Peter Furler. Sia is a very private person, and even covers her face with a blond wig while performing.

102 Tournament favorite : ONE SEED

A seeded player or team in a tournament is one given a preliminary ranking that is used in the initial draw. The intention is that the better competitors are less likely to meet each other in the early rounds.

103 “Carnation, __, __, Rose”: Sargent painting : LILY

“Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose” is an oil painting by John Singer Sargent in 1885. It shows two children lighting paper lanterns, as the light of the day begins to fade. The title of the work comes from a song “Ye Shepherds Tell Me”, which includes the lyrics “A wreath around her head, around her head she wore, carnation, lily, lily, rose”.

104 One of many Kens in “Barbie” : SIMU LIU

Simu Liu is a Chinese-born Canadian actor. One of his more famous roles was the title character in the Marvel Comics 2021 superhero movie “Shang-Chi and the legend of the Ten Rings”.

108 AOL alternative : MSN

Microsoft Network (MSN)

112 Febreze target : ODOR

The odor-eliminating product we know today as Febreze was developed in England in the early nineties. It is now produced by Procter & Gamble.

118 Super Soaker maker : NERF

The Super Soaker brand of water gun first went on sale in toy shops in 1989. Since then, over a billion dollars worth of Super Soakers have been sold.

119 Encourage : EGG ON

The verb “to edge” has been used to mean to incite, to urge on, from the 16th century. Somewhere along the way “edge” was mistakenly replaced with “egg”, giving us our term “to egg on” meaning “to goad”.

Down

1 Batman cover : CAPE

Batman is sometimes referred to as the Caped Crusader, Robin as the Boy Wonder, and the pair as the Dynamic Duo.

2 Delivery to a house : ARIA

That would be an opera house.

6 Director Lee : ANG

Ang Lee made history at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002 when he won the Best Director award for “Brokeback Mountain.” He became the first Asian person to win the award and the first non-white person to win in the category.

8 Actress Mayim : BIALIK

The wonderful Mayim Bialik is an actress best known for playing Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on TV’s “The Big Bang Theory”. Bialik also played the title role in the NBC sitcom “Blossom”. There’s a line in one of “The Big Bang Theory” episodes in which Sheldon talks about “the girl who played TV’s ‘Blossom’”. He notes that the “Blossom” actress has “a PhD in neuroscience or something”. And that is true, actress Mayim Bialik has indeed got a doctorate in neuroscience.

10 MSNBC’s Velshi : ALI

Ali Velshi is a television journalist from Canada who joined MSNBC in 2016, after having worked with CNN and Al Jazeera America.

12 Currier and __ : IVES

Currier and Ives was a printmaking concern in New York City run by Nathaniel Currier and his partner James Merritt Ives from 1834 to 1907. The firm specialized in making affordable, hand-colored black and white lithographs.

13 Segments of sonnets : SESTETS

A sonnet is a short poem with varying rhyming schemes but always with 14 lines. The sonnet form has been around at least since the 13th century. The Shakespearean sonnet is composed of three quatrains (4 lines) and a final couplet (2 lines). The Petrarchan sonnet comprises two quatrains (4 lines) followed by a sestet (6 lines), or two tercets (3 lines).

14 AI learning model : NEURAL NET

It used to be that “neural network” was just the name given to a network of nerve cells in an organism. In the modern world, the term “neural net” (short for “neural network”) also applies to virtual or electronic devices designed to mimic the function of the human brain, and in particular learning from past experiences.

15 “Carmina Burana” composer : ORFF

“Carmina Burana” is a cantata by Carl Orff based on a collection of medieval poems that go by the same name. The name translates as “Songs from Beuern”. The best known movement of the cantata by far is the dramatic “O Fortuna” used at the opening and closing of the piece. One study placed “O Fortuna” as the most often played piece of classical music in the UK over the past 75 years, largely due to its use in television commercials. Famously, the piece appeared in the US in ads for Gatorade and Old Spice aftershave.

16 Inventor Sikorsky : IGOR

Igor Sikorsky was a Russian pioneer in the world of aviation. He designed, and indeed piloted, the world’s first multi-engine, fixed-wing aircraft in 1913. He moved to the US in 1919 and set up his own aircraft manufacturing business. In the thirties he made the magnificent flying boats that were used by Pan Am in their Clipper era. Sikorsky also developed the world’s first mass-produced helicopter, in 1942.

23 Coop denizens : HENS

Nowadays we use “denizen” to mean simply “resident”, but historically a denizen was an immigrant to whom certain rights had been granted, somewhat like today’s resident alien.

24 Attaché, e.g. : CASE

“Attaché” is a French term which literally means “attached”, and is used for a person who is assigned to the administrative staff of some agency or other service. The term is most recognized as it applies to someone assigned to an Ambassador’s staff at an embassy. The word was extended to “attaché case” at the beginning of the twentieth century, meaning a leather case used for carrying papers. I guess that an attaché case might be “attached” to an attaché at an embassy …

29 Nonworking capital, for short? : IRA

IRAs provided funds for nonworking folks, folks who work no more, who are retired.

31 Gymnastics champion Lee : SUNI

Suni Lee is an American gymnast who won the women’s artistic individual all-around event at the 2020 Olympics. A few weeks after her victory in Tokyo, Lee competed in the 30th season of “Dancing with the Stars”, finishing in 5th place.

36 Perform in the subway, say : BUSK

A busker is a street performer, a person entertaining passersby for tips. Some very successful people have spent periods of their lives busking. George Michael used to busk near the London Underground. Rod Stewart performed in the streets of Paris and Barcelona, and was eventually deported from Spain for vagrancy.

37 House work? : LAWS

The number of seats in the US House of Representatives has been 435 since the year 1913, although there was a temporary increase to 437 seats at the time of the admission of Alaska and Hawaii to the Union. The number of representatives assigned to each state is proportional to that state’s population, except that each state is guaranteed a minimum of one delegate by the US Constitution.

39 Display on a dash, for short : NAV

Back in the 1800s, “dashboard” was the name given to a board placed at the front of a carriage to stop mud from “dashing” against the passengers in the carriage, mud that was kicked up by the hooves of the horses. Quite interesting …

40 Period of glacial growth : ICE AGE

Ice ages are periods in the Earth’s history when there are extensive ice sheets present in the northern and southern hemispheres. One might argue that we are still in an ice age that began 2.6 million years ago, as evidenced by the presence of ice sheets covering Greenland and Antarctica.

41 Zone defense, say : TACTIC

In some team sports, there is a choice between man-to-man defense and zone defense. In the former, each defensive player guards a corresponding player on the other team. In the latter, each defensive player covers a particular “zone” of the playing area.

42 “Gulliver’s Travels” people : YAHOOS

Yahoos are brutish creatures introduced by Irish author Jonathan Swift in “Gulliver’s Travels”. Their savage, slovenly ways gave rise to the use of “yahoo” in English to describe a lout or neanderthal.

48 Part of rock’s CSNY : NASH

Graham Nash is a British singer-songwriter who is best known for his work with the bands The Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice – once in 1997 as a member of The Hollies, and again in 1997 as a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. In the late 1960s, Nash was romantically involved with Joni Mitchell, another iconic singer-songwriter. Their relationship inspired some of Nash’s best-known songs, including “Our House” and “Simple Man.”

49 Bygone Pontiac : GTO

The Pontiac GTO was produced by GM from 1964 to 1974, and again by a GM subsidiary in Australia from 2004 to 2006. The original GTO’s design is credited to Pontiac chief engineer at the time John DeLorean, who later founded the DeLorean Motor Company.

52 Rockfish, by another name : STRIPER

“Rockfish” is a name commonly given to various species of fish that tend to hide among rocks.

54 Logan International code : BOS

Boston’s Logan Airport (BOS) is named for General Edward Lawrence Logan, a military officer from South Boston who fought in the Spanish-American War.

58 Theorizes : POSITS

To “posit” is to assume as fact, to lay down as a “position”.

61 “Beats me,” briefly : IDK

I don’t know (IDK)

67 Tower of London display : ARMOUR

The spectacular Tower of London sits right on the north bank of the River Thames in the center of London. The castle dates back to the years just following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The victorious William the Conqueror built the Tower’s central keep (called the White Tower) in 1078. The Tower of London has been used for many purposes over the centuries, as a residence, a prison, and was even home to the Royal Mint. Famously it houses the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, and has done so since 1303.

71 __ Noël : PERE

A central figure on Christmas Day is Santa Claus aka “Father Christmas”, and “Père Noël” in French.

73 Classroom competition : BEE

Back in 18th-century America, when neighbors would gather to work for the benefit of one of their group, such a meeting was called a bee. The name “bee” was an allusion to the social nature of the insect. In modern parlance, a further element of entertainment and pleasure has been introduced, for example in a quilting bee, or even a spelling bee.

75 __ choy : BOK

Bok choy is a variety of Chinese cabbage. “Bok choy” translates as “white vegetable”.

77 Rides the waves under wind power : KITESURFS

Kiteboarding (also “kitesurfing”) is a sport in which the participant is pulled along by a larger power kit while riding on a board. Most kiteboarders move over water, but some ride across land, snow or sand.

79 Essman of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” : SUSIE

Comedian and actress Susie Essman is perhaps best known for playing Susie Green on the comedy show “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. Essman is also a regular on “The View” and she is a good friend of the show’s co-host Joy Behar.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” is an improv comedy show aired by HBO that was created and stars Larry David, the creator of “Seinfeld”. As an aside, Larry David sat a few feet from me at the next table in a Los Angeles restaurant a few years ago. I have such a huge claim to fame …

82 Cuatro x dos : OCHO

In Spanish, “ocho” (eight) is the sum of “cuatro y cuatro” (four plus four).

83 Tequila serving, perhaps : SHOT

Tequila comes in four categories, depending on how long it has been aged:

• “Blanco” (white) or “plata” (silver) is unaged
• “Reposado” (rested) is aged 2 months to a year
• “Añejo” (aged, vintage) is aged 1-3 years
• “Extra añejo” (extra aged, ultra aged) is aged 3 years or more

85 Hook, to Pan : FOE

Captain Hook is the bad guy in “Peter Pan”, the famous play by J. M. Barrie. Hook is Peter Pan’s sworn enemy, as Pan had cut off Hook’s hand causing it to be replaced by a “hook”. It is implied in the play that Hook attended Eton College, just outside London. Hook’s last words are “Floreat Etona”, which is Eton College’s motto. Barrie openly acknowledged that the Hook character is based on Herman Melville’s Captain Ahab from the novel “Moby Dick”.

86 Early DVR : TIVO

TiVo is a digital video recorder (DVR) that revolutionized the way we watch television. The first TiVo devices were installed in homes in 1999, when they were the first consumer DVRs to hit the market. TiVo was originally marketed as a way to “pause live TV.” It quickly became known for its ability to record TV shows and movies, allowing viewers to watch them at their convenience.

92 Iron, e.g. : ELEMENT

The Latin word for “iron” is “ferrum”, which gives us “Fe” as the metal’s chemical symbol.

97 Nat. dissolved in 1991 : USSR

When the former Soviet Union (USSR) dissolved in 1991, it was largely replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The formation of the CIS underscored the new reality, that the former Soviet Republics (SSRs) were now independent states. Most of the 15 former SSRs joined the CIS. Notably, the three Baltic SSRs (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) opted not to join the new commonwealth, and in 2004 joined NATO and the EU.

99 “The MAGA Diaries” writer Nguyen : TINA

The full title of political journalist Tina Nguyen’s book is “The MAGA Diaries: My Surreal Adventures Inside the Right-Wing (and How I Got Out)”.

103 Scottish body : LOCH

“Loch” is the Scottish-Gaelic word for “lake”. The Irish-Gaelic word is “lough”, and the Welsh word is “llyn”.

104 Tokyo-based tech giant : SONY

Sony was founded by Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation). The two partners met in the Japanese Navy during WWII.

106 1970s Robin Williams role : MORK

The sitcom “Mork & Mindy” was broadcast from 1978 to 1982. We were first introduced to Mork (played by Robin Williams) in a special episode of “Happy Days”. The particular episode in question has a bizarre storyline culminating in Fonzie and Mork having a thumb-to-finger duel. Eventually Richie wakes up in bed, and alien Mork was just part of a dream! Oh, and “Nanu Nanu” means both “hello” and “goodbye” back on the planet Ork. “I am Mork from Ork, Nanu Nanu”. Great stuff …

Actor and comedian Robin Williams started his performing career as a standup in the San Francisco Bay Area. His big break came when he was cast as an alien named Mork in a 1978 episode of the sitcom “Happy Days”. That led to the spinoff sitcom “Mork & Mindy” that aired from 1978 to 1982. Williams’ first major film role was as the title character in 1980’s “Popeye”. Sadly, Williams committed suicide in 2014.

109 Sundae garnish : NUTS

There’s a lot of speculation about how the dessert called a sundae got its name, but there seems to be agreement that it is an alteration of the word “Sunday”.

114 Four-time French Open winner Swiatek : IGA

Iga Swiatek is a professional tennis player, and the first from Poland to win a major singles title (the French Open in 2020).

115 Encyclopedia div. : VOL

An encyclopedia is a compendium reference work containing summary information about a branch of knowledge, or about all knowledge. The word “encyclopedia” comes from the Greek “enkyklios paideia” meaning “general education”, or literally “general rearing of a child”.

116 La pluie, e.g. : EAU

In French, “eau” (water) might fall as “pluie” (rain).

117 Rapper Dr. __ : DRE

“Dr. Dre” is the stage name of rapper Andre Romelle Young. He is known for his own singing career as well as for producing records and starting the careers of others such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.